Arrangement for securing dental prostheses



Oct. 26, 1954 PHEULPlN 2,692,431

ARRANGEMENT FOR SECURING DENTAL PROSTHESES Filed Oct. 21, 1952 II I} 5 l mummmm- Ill! 6 IN VENTOR ALFRED PHEULPIN BY MM ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 26, 1954 ARRANGEMENT'FOR SECURING DENTAL PROSTHESES Albert Pheulpin, Monthey, Switzerland" ApplicationQctober -'21, 1952, Serial him-315,902

Claims priority, application Switzerland 5 November 6, 1951 4 Claims.

Dental prostheses are generall securedinr position by means of hooksonto the remaining-natural teeth of the jaw. This manner of securing prostheses implies various drawbacks and, in particular, it leads to a wear of the teeth and consequently to the possibility of further decay, and loosening of the teeth considered and recession of the gums. Furthermore, the hooks become worn after some time of use, so that it is necessary to repeatedly proceed with a further fitting.

The present invention has for its object a securing means operating through a locking of the dental prostheses whereby it removes the above-mentioned drawbacks. The arrangement is characterized by the fact that it includes a hook-shaped bar or hoop incurved in a direction facing the mucous membrane of the gums and welded to a metal member secured to the tooth serving as a pillar, said bar being associated with a locking lever, provided with a tongue and pivotally secured to a spindle fitted inside the prosthesis, in a manner such that once the prosthesis is positioned over the jaw-bone, it is sufllcient to lower the lever for its tongue to engage the underside of the hook-shaped bar on the pillar and to ensure thus the rigid securing of the prosthesis to the jaw-bone.

Appended drawing, given by way of example, illustrates diagrammatically a preferred embodiment of my improved device as applied to a partial prosthesis mounted on the mandible. In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a partly sectional side view of the teeth carried by the maxillary in a plane passing through the line li of Fig. 10 and showing the locking lever in its two extreme positions;

Fig. 2 is a plan view corresponding to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical cross-section through line 33 of Fig. 1;

Figs. 4. to 8 show, on a larger scale, details of the device, to wit:

Figs. 4 to 6 illustrate, in front view, plan view and side view respectively, a crown intended to be secured to a pillar tooth and carrying the locking hook, while Figs. '7 and 8 are an elevational and plan view respectively of a preferred embodiment of the locking lever;

Fig. 9 is an elevational view and Fig. 10 a plan view showing on a reduced scale the application of a prosthesis provided with my improved securing device on a mandible.

In the embodiment illustrated, the arrangement includes a crown I fitted over a pillar 2 which pillar 2 may be constituted e. g. by a 2;. crown stump, aCarrnichael crown, an inlay or a capof Richmondtype', etc. This crown l is provided with'a hookshap'edbar 3p'os'iti oned'in'front of the adjacent tooth 4 forming part of the prosthesis to which last mentioned tooth the locking lever 5 is secured. The locking position is illustrated in Fig. 1 in solid lines, whereas the released position obtained through a rocking in the direction of the arrow 1 is illustrated in said figure at 5' in dot-and-dash lines.

The lever 5 pivots round its axis 6 that is fitted in the prosthesis element 4. This lever is provided with a yielding or rigid tongue adapted to engage the underside of the hook-shaped bar 3 and serving also for the compensation of the play produced after protracted use.

As for the mounting of the arrangement, the crown being cemented in its position over the pillar 2, it is sufficient to place the prosthesis, with its locking lever 5 directed upwardly, in the desired location and to lower then the lever from the position 5 into the position 5 by rocking it in a direction opposed to that of the arrow of Fig. 1, which operation provides for the securing of the prosthesis.

When the prosthesis is formed by two symmetrical parts connected by a small bar 8, as shown in Figs. 1 and 10, the securing arrangement includes for each part a lever 5 adapted to pivot round a spindle B fitted inside the corresponding prosthesis part 4, each lever cooperating, as disclosed, with a hoop or hook-shaped member rigid with an adjacent sane tooth.

What I claim is:

l. A device for attaching a dental prosthesis to a pillar tooth comprising a metal fitting for the pillar tooth including a lateral projection having a concave portion facing the mucous membrane of the gums, a horizontal pivot fitted in the lateral surface of the prosthesis which is to engage the surface of the pillar tooth fitting provided with said lateral projection, and a lever pivotally secured to said horizontal pivot and adapted to be rocked into engagement with the concave portion of the lateral projection on said fitting in clamping relationship therewith.

2. A device for attaching a dental prosthesis to a pillar tooth comprising a metal fitting for the pillar tooth including a lateral projection, a horizontal pivot fitted in the lateral surface of the prosthesis which is to engage the surface of the pillar tooth fitting provided with said lateral projection, and a lever pivotally secured to said horizontal pivot, said lever including a tongue starting from a point intermediate of the length of the lever and directed inwardly to form with the portion of the lever closest to the pivot a laterally opening slot adapted to engage upon a rocking movement of the lever the medial portion of the lateral projection.

3. A device for attaching a dental prosthesis to at least one pillar tooth, comprising a metal fitting for each pillar tooth and including a lateral projection on the free lateral surface thereof and a prosthesis including at its end that is to face the fitting for the pillar tooth, a horizontal pivot rigid with the prosthesis and substantially perpendicular to the surface that is to engage the free lateral surface on the pillar tooth fitting and a lever pivotally secured to said horizontal pivot and adapted to be rocked into an operative position for which it engages the medial part of the projection on the fitting to clamp the prosthesis with reference to the fitting on the pillar tooth.

4. A device for attaching a dental prosthesis to at least one pillar tooth, comprising a metal fitting for each pillar tooth and including a lateral projection on the free lateral surface thereof bent toward the gum and a prosthesis including at its end that is to face the fitting for the pillar tooth,

a horizontal pivot rigid with the prosthesis and substantially perpendicular to the surface that is to engage the free lateral surface of the fitting for the pillar tooth and. a lever pivotally secured to said pivot and including a body and a lateral yielding tongue thereon defining with the body an arcuate slot adapted to engage, upon rocking of the lever into a predetermined angular position, the medial part of the projection on the fitting to clamp thereby the prosthesis with reference to the fitting on the pillar tooth, the opening of the arcuate slot being directed away from the gums for said predetermined angular position of the lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,251,912 Nordstrom Jan. 1, 1918 1,499,133 Van Houten June24, 1924 

